Completing your 2017 individual income tax return

If you do not need to lodge a tax return for the 2016–17 income year, you will need to notify us of this. For more information, refer to Non-lodgment advice 2017.

If you are required to complete the Business and professional items schedule, you cannot lodge a paper tax return. You must lodge your tax return using myTax or a registered tax agent. This will affect you if any of the following applied in 2016–17:

you were a partner in a partnership that made a loss

you received income for personal services you provided as a sole trader

Referred publications and rulings

Not everything can be covered in Individual tax return instructions. Sometimes, you will be referred to other publications that will help you to understand your tax obligations and complete your tax return. Some publications are essential to complete some items.

Contact us

Phone the ATO

You can phone the ATO if you need assistance with a question in Individual tax return instructions 2017 or Individual tax return instructions supplement 2017, or another matter concerning your tax affairs. If you decide to phone us, please have the instructions handy. See Phone us.

Ask for a taxation ruling

If you have a complex enquiry about your tax affairs, you may want to ask for a private ruling.

A private ruling relates only to your particular situation. Your tax return should reflect what the private ruling says. You may need to change your tax return if you lodge it before you receive your private ruling.

The ATO publishes all private rulings on its internet site. What we publish will not contain anything which could identify you.

You can ask for a review of your private ruling if you disagree with it even if you have not yet received your assessment. You can find out more about objection procedures from the ATO branch that made your ruling.

Our commitment to you

We are committed to providing you with accurate, consistent and clear information to help you understand your rights and entitlements and meet your obligations.

If you follow our information and it turns out to be incorrect, or it is misleading and you make a mistake as a result, we will take that into account when determining what action, if any, we should take.

Some of the information on this website applies to a specific financial year. This is clearly marked. Make sure you have the information for the right year before making decisions based on that information.

If you feel that our information does not fully cover your circumstances, or you are unsure how it applies to you, contact us or seek professional advice.